Vienna -The power of the churches to integrate is being debated. Together with the Commission for Church and Society of the Conference of European Churches (CEC), the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE) issued an invitation to a symposium in Vienna on 8 May on the occasion of the reconstitution of the CPCE South East Europe Regional Group.

Around fifty representatives from the CPCE member churches in South East Europe accepted the invitation, under the heading "European Integration and Neighbourhood Policy in South East Europe".

Dr. Erhard Busek, Special Co-ordinator of the stability pact for South East Europe, spoke on political developments. Because of the wars on the territory of former Yugoslavia, the whole region began a process of transformation only at a late stage.

Nevertheless Busek emphasised the European perspectives: "No one within the EU disputes that potential candidate countries are represented here"; for Croatia, for example, entry could be possible between 2009 and 2013.

However, the sustained development of civil society was important, since elements of tension are also increasing in the sphere of religion. Moreover it is important above all to promote sustainable foundations of infrastructure as well as giving financial support to the region. This could also counter the problem of the emigration of young and well-trained people.

What role do the churches have in this context? For Erhard Busek the strength of the churches lies above all in the capacity of the promotion of mutual understanding to promote integration. "We need your commitment in a quite practical way."

The question was discussed and argued over in a platform discussion. Gergely Pröhle, Landeskurator of the Lutheran Church in Hungary, drew attention to the problematical connection between state and church.

"Churches which allow themselves to be exploited in the interests of the nation state are part of the problem, not the solution." The CPCE General Secretary, Prof. Michael Bünker, emphasised that in order to counter this danger it was indispensable for the churches to face their own histories.

Nationality was only a penultimate factor. Instead of this the churches should consciously live out their differences and draw conclusions for fellowship from that.

This was also the CPCE approach. Verena Taylor, Director of the Council of Europe's Liaison Office to the European Union, sees this element of promoting fellowship as an important task for the churches. The churches could and should become more deeply committed, especially in questions of collaboration extending beyond frontiers and the shared assimilation of history.

The South East Europe Group of the CPCE was founded more than thirty years ago on the premise that in view of the political division of South East Europe, a bridge should be ventured with the states and churches beyond the Iron Curtain.

It includes above all minority churches from France, Switzerland, Germany, Spain/Portugal, Italy, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, Romania, Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union. With a conference which lasts until Thursday, in connection with the symposium the work of the group for coming years will be arranged.